Jay Leno: Memorable celebrity encounters | Trending Now

Former Tonight Show host Jay Leno relives unforgettable encounters with Hollywood legends such as Orson Welles, Elizabeth Taylor, and Marlon Brando.

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Hey, it's Graham. Today's Friday, and that means
we're releasing our third podcast of the week.
On Monday, we released a full interview with one of our past
guests. And yesterday was Motivational
Thursday where we selected a clip that hopefully left you
feeling positive. Today we're releasing another
fan favorite this week, Jay Leno.
The clip you're about to hear istrending right now on our

(00:22):
YouTube channel. Hope you enjoy.
I want to run through some celebrities.
You've crossed paths. With.
Celebrities I've crossed paths with.
But some more out-of-the-box ones.
How about dinner with Orson Welles?
Well, yeah, I used to. Orson Welles is a character.
We used to do the Merv Griffin Show together all the time.
We go to Mamaison and, yeah, just an interesting, interesting

(00:48):
guy, you know, as a young person.
See, he he was not so famous when I knew him.
He wasn't the great filmmaker then.
He was overweight, kind of sloppy guy, you know, it's, it's
just kind of awkward. It wasn't like, Oh my God, this

(01:12):
is Arson Welles, you know, because I mean, I, I think
everything peaked at 26. Isn't that what he did to did
Citizen Kane? Something like that?
Yeah. And I mean, pretty amazing,
amazing career. But yeah, I was just in awe of
it. You know, to me, it's always
funny meeting those people. I one of my favorite things is I
went to Europe with Malcolm Forbes.

(01:33):
He's dating Elizabeth Taylor. So Walter Cronkite comes along
and his wife, Betsy. So we get to France and we're
staying in this Chateau, and I'mvery intimidated.
I'm sitting there quietly, you know, and Walter Cronkite's on
the piano singing some racy song.
There was a girl from Kentucky who really liked it.
Well, you know, one of those kind of songs, you know, So this

(01:54):
French guy came there. Excuse me.
I'm told there is an American comedian here.
And the news man, I said, yes, he goes, are you the news man?
I go, no, I'm the comedian. That guy on the piano that
that's, that's the news man. And Walter Cronkite's singing
this song with the obscenity. It's very funny.
It just made me laugh. How is sharing a plane with
Elizabeth Taylor? You know something, I don't

(02:18):
think I'd ever been around a real movie star till then.
I mean, the flashbulb was just about out the door, but we got
off the plane. I mean, literally coming down
the stairs. I, I mean, I had to grab the
rail. I couldn't see.
There were so many flashbulbs. I mean, now that everything is.

(02:38):
But, you know, that was the lastgasp of the guy with hey, hey,
over here, Mr. Click, you know, with the just just flashbulb
popping. Yeah.
It was pretty amazing. Yeah.
What stands out from Marlon Brando calling and writing you
letters over the years? Marlon Brando used to write me
letters under the pseudium Snowflake.

(03:01):
I don't know. I don't know.
Again, it's Marlon Brando. You're asking why?
Well, I don't know. He got to talk to Marlon Brando.
But he calls me one day and and he goes.
Jay. Jay, I got to ask you a
question. Maybe you can help me.
Yeah, sure. What can I do?
Model. You know, Boats.
Right? Boats.
No, I What are you talking about?

(03:22):
You work on cars. I almost.
Yeah. But it's it's two different
things. Not really.
OK. OK.
Now it's modeling Brando. So I'm trying not to be.
Oh, well. Well, how can I help you?
Well, a friend of mine invent a new type of boat, and I think
you really. I'd like you to show it.
I'd like him to show it to you because I know you know about

(03:43):
these things. And I'm saying, well, does he
put it in the water? Water.
Well, why don't you go in the water?
I said, Marlon, he invented any type of boats.
Yeah, you know, like nuts and boats.
Boats. BOLT.
Yes, that's why I said boats. Oh.
Oh. Oh, yeah.
OK. What do you think?

(04:03):
I said nothing. I I it just made me laugh.
I just did. Having this ridiculous
conversation with Marla Braddo. What?
Was he like? I just talked to him on the
phone. He's a nice guy.
You know, it just it it, it's very funny.
You know, there are a lot of guys that Harvey Weinstein used
to call me and intimidate me allthe time.
He he called me one day. He goes, I want Brad Pitt on the

(04:25):
show tonight. I go, I, I can't put Brad Pitt
on the show tonight. And you know, I had on, I had on
them right wing politician ran for president, young guy can't
remember his name. And but we don't bump people
when people on their way here. I, I, I don't want to do all
those guys that cancel even though it's Brad Pitt, you know,

(04:48):
but I said, no, it's just higherage.
And he screamed at me and you'llnever work again, you know, just
all those kind of things. So when he got nailed, I was
actually, oh good. He's an awful person.
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week.